Group Visits and Tours

Directions

Dia:Beacon is located adjacent to the Beacon train station, which is served by Metro-North Railroad trains from Grand Central Terminal and Poughkeepsie.

Dia:Beacon is located adjacent to the Beacon train station, which is served by Metro-North Railroad trains from Grand Central Terminal and Poughkeepsie. Trains run hourly in either direction during museum operating hours. For train information, visit www.mta.info or call 212.532.4900. For train travel from north of Poughkeepsie, take an Amtrak train to Poughkeepsie and transfer to a Metro-North train. Beacon is the second stop.

from New York CityTake Upper Level of George Washington Bridge New Jersey bound. Take first right off Bridge to Palisades Parkway North. Take Palisades Parkway North to end. At rotary, take 6 East/202 across Bear Mountain Bridge. Take the first left onto Route 9D North. Continue 16.5 miles north on 9D into the city of Beacon. At the fourth traffic light in Beacon (just past Beacon City Hall), make a left turn onto Beekman Street. Continue on Beekman Street .5 miles. Dia:Beacon's entrance is on the right, marked by a gray sign.(Travel time: approximately 80 minutes.)

from New Jersey and points South (and by bus from New York City)Take the Garden State Parkway North until it merges with the New York State Throughway 87/287. Take I-87 North to Exit 17, I-84. Follow local signs to I-84 East and continue on I-84 East across Newburgh-Beacon Bridge. Immediately after the toll booths, take exit 11. Turn right at the top of the ramp onto Route 9D south. Turn right at the second light - Beekman Street. Continue on Beekman Street .5 miles. Dia:Beacon's entrance is on the right, marked by a gray sign

from Westchester and points SoutheastTake either 287 West until it merges with I-87 and continue to Exit 9, Route 9. Travel north on Route 9 to Fishkill. Take I-84 West two exits to Exit 11: Route 9D. Make a left turn onto Route 9D South. After traveling approximately one mile, make a right turn onto Beekman Street. Continue on Beekman Street .5 miles. Dia:Beacon's entrance is on the right, marked by a gray sign.

or

Take 287 West to Exit 9A, Route 684 and proceed on 684 to Exit 9W, I-84 West. Take I-84 West to Exit 11: Route 9D. Make a left turn onto Route 9D South. After traveling approximately one mile, make a right turn onto Beekman Street. Continue on Beekman Street .5 miles. Dia:Beacon's entrance is on the right, marked by a gray sign.

from points North:Take I-87 South to Exit 17, I-84. Follow local signs to I-84 East and continue on I-84 East across Newburgh-Beacon Bridge. Immediately after the toll booths, take exit 11. Turn right at the top of the ramp onto Route 9D south. Turn right at the second light - Beekman Street. Continue on Beekman Street .5 miles. Dia:Beacon's entrance is on the right, marked by a gray sign.

from points West:Take I-87 South to Exit 17, I-84. Take I-84 East across the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge. Immediately after the toll booths, take exit 11. Turn right at the top of the ramp onto Route 9D south. Turn right at the second light - Beekman Street. Continue on Beekman Street .5 miles. Dia:Beacon's entrance is on the right, marked by a gray sign

Bookshop and Café

Photo: Eva Deitch

The bookshop and Homespun Dia:Beacon are open from 10:30 am until close on days Dia:Beacon is open.

About Dia:Beacon

Occupying a former Nabisco box printing factory on the banks of the Hudson River, Dia:Beacon presents Dia’s collection of art from the 1960s to the present as well as special exhibitions, new commissions, and public and education programs. Since its opening in May 2003, Dia:Beacon has helped transform the city of Beacon into a vibrant arts destination for visitors from the region, New York City, and beyond.

The BuildingBuilt in 1929 by Nabisco, the nearly 300,000 square foot factory building is composed of brick, steel, concrete, and glass and is considered to be a model of early twentieth century industrial architecture. It stands as a symbol of Beacon’s past as a major industrial and manufacturing city.

The original building had many key design elements that made it an appealing site for contemporary art, including broad spans between supporting columns and more than 34,000-square-feet of skylights. Today these skylights provide natural light in the galleries and have uniquely established Dia:Beacon as a “daylight museum.”

Working closely with artist Robert Irwin, Dia devised a masterplan to create a twenty-first century museum building that retained the original character of the building. For the exterior setting, Irwin designed seasonally-changing gardens. Following the renovation, the building was listed on the State and National Register of Historic Places.

The Art and ProgramsIn keeping with Dia’s history of single-artist, site-related presentations, each gallery was designed specifically for the presentation of one artist’s work. Examples include Dan Flavin’s series of fluorescent light “monuments to V. Tatlin”; Joseph Beuys’ mixed-media installations such as Fond III/3 (1979) and Fond IV/4 (1979); Richard Serra’sTorqued Ellipses (2007); and Michael Heizer’s North, East, South, West (1967/2002).

Dia’s collections and special presentations are supplemented by public programs and tours and an ongoing arts education partnership with the City of Beacon that has been underway since 2001.

• Photographs for personal use may be taken in select Dia:Beacon galleries.

• No wedding, event, or commercial photography is allowed at Dia:Beacon or on its property.

• No flash photography or video is ever permitted.

• No tripods or extension poles are ever permitted.

• Use of the public space must not be disruptive to general Dia:Beacon visitors. Please respect Dia property. Do not move, climb on, or damage furniture.

• No photography in any one space for more than 5 minutes.

• If you are uncertain if photography is permitted, please ask a Visitor Service Associate or Gallery Attendant before you take pictures.

Please be advised that photography at Dia:Beacon is a privilege. Dia Art Foundation reserves the right to prohibit photography in any area at any time. Failure to adhere to these guidelines may result in visitors being asked to cease activities and leave the premises.